GPHF NEWS IV / 98

 

GPHF-board of managers look back on a successful 1998
At the meeting of the board in December 1998 the GPHF reviewed its project work in 1998 and concluded that the results were extremely gratifying. In particular the project GPHF-Minilab®, the development of a small mobile laboratory for the identification of drugs of inferior quality or counterfeit drugs, had met with a good response worldwide (see page 3). Dr. Gabriele Küsters, the member of the board responsible for the Minilab, announced medium-term development of testing methods for other active substances. In addition there are plans to carry out a long-term study in which the Minilab is to be used in selected countries in Africa and South America.

The board was also satisfied with the status of the other GPHF projects now in progress. During the last 12 months both the model projects in Indonesia (diagnosis of iodine deficiency diseases) and in Laos (diagnosis and treatment of schistosomiasis and opisthorchiasis) and the project on diagnosis and treatment of parasitic infections in Mauritania had gone according to plan. The GPHF is confident that all three projects can be successfully completed in 1999. In the coming year a new GPHF project will be devoted to the topic "Drug donations".

The board of managers welcomed the numerous project enquiries which were again addressed to the GPHF in 1998. They show that the GPHF is now obviously a much sought after partner in development programmes. This view is also supported in the many and varied reports in the media about the Fund's projects.

The board is confident that the support of the members of the GPHF will enable them to continue to use the specialised know-how of the pharmaceutical industry for projects in development programmes.

The GPHF thanks the following contributors for their generous support without which the project work in 1998 could not have been successful:

ASTA Medica AG - ASTRA Chemicals GmbH Bayer AG - Berlin-Chemie AG - Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH - Boehringer Mannheim GmbH - Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH - Byk Gulden Lomberg GmbH - Centeon Pharma GmbH - Goedecke AG - Grünenthal GmbH - Hoechst Marion Roussel Deutschland GmbH - Janssen-Cilag GmbH - Knoll AG - Merck KgaA - Novartis Pharma GmbH - Sanavita Gesundheitsmittel GmbH & Co. KG - Schering AG - Schwarz Pharma AG - Verband Forschender Arzneimittelhersteller e.V. - Wyeth Pharma GmbH - Zeneca GmbH.

 

Drug donations - a new project of the GPHF
At the beginning of 1999 the GPHF will take up the subject of "Drug donations". The GPHF board member responsible for coordinating this project is Dr. Carola Fink-Anthe. In an interview Dr. Fink-Anthe commented on the objectives of the new GPHF project:

Why is the GPHF directing its attention to the subject of "drug donations"?
Dr. Fink-Anthe: The subject of drug donations is a bit two-faced. Many probably remember the negative side from the example of the former Yugoslavia where a great many donated and completely unusable drugs appeared. Since then a number of guidelines for donations have been established but we have observed that there is still uncertaintly and, in some cases, a considerable lack of information both among those asking for contributions and among the potential donors. Neither is it known in all cases which drugs are suitable in any given situation nor from whom they should be requested. We would like to help to make the donation more efficient for both the contributors and the recipients.

What exactly are you planning to do?
Dr. Fink-Anthe: First of all we collected information from our member companies about their donations. In a written questionnaire we ascertained the scope of their drug donations and how these were organized. We asked them where they thought problems might occur and what improvements could be initiated by the GPHF.

What were the results of this survey?
Dr. Fink-Anthe: We were impressed with the extent to which almost all our members donated drugs and how consistent they were. However, it also became clear that the situation was made more difficult because of a lack of communication. In many cases there was also a desire for an improvement in the exchange of information between the individual drug manufacturers. As a result of the survey we set up a working party with those responsible for donations from some member companies and they will now work out the project in detail.

Are you also looking for contact with the public?
Dr. Fink-Anthe: Of course. Above all we would like to talk to those who already have experience in this field, for example the Deutsche Institut für Ärztliche Mission. We are not afraid of organisations which are critical about the project since from these too it is possible to learn where there may be problems. We would like to see the practice of drug donation based on as broad an agreement as possible which, in the final analysis, would also be of benefit for the recipients.

What steps will the GPHF take next?
Dr. Fink-Anthe: At the start of 1999 we will inform the members of the GPHF and the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of our plans. Our aim is to provide them with a valuable service without additional charge. At this point I would like to emphasize that the decision of a company whether to donate or not will in future continue to rest with the individual company. We will then contact other organisations and invite them to an interdisciplinary round-table discussion at which the different views and expectations can be freely exchanged.

What are the concrete aims which the project could achieve?
Dr. Fink-Anthe: In the medium to long term the GPHF could become a kind of information center. Here it would be possible to find out which drug manufacturers produce the medicines needed, who is responsible there for the drug donations, what information is important for the donor, such as doses, climatic zone, etc. We can imagine, for example, that a check list could simplify the procedure. Another task in the future could also be the coordination of the large volume of enquiries about donations for emergency aid in the case of disasters.

 

GPHF-Minilab® aroused interest worldwide

The GPHF-Minilab®, a small mobile laboratory for the detection of counterfeit drugs, met with great interest worldwide. The project leader, Dr. Jähnke, has been inundated with enquiries asking for more detailed information on the mode of operation and the possible uses of the tests. The GPHF-Minilab®, developed in close cooperation with the Medical Mission Institute Würzburg and the Pharmaceutical Institute of Bonn University, was officially presented to the public in September.

In the last two months the GPHF has demonstrated the Minilab to the World Health Organisation and the Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) among others. Demonstrations were also given at a meeting of experts of the Deutsche Medikamentenhilfswerk action medeor, at the congress on "Theory and Practice of Humanitarian Aid" of the foreign office of the Medical Association of Berlin and during the Worldaid exhibition in Geneva.

At all these events the GPHF Minilab® was unanimously agreed to be an extremely practical instrument for improving the quality of the drug supply in developing countries. Many experts were especially impressed by the design and the combination of the tests compactly into two easily transportable cases.

In order to ensure that the tests are equally reliable in long-term use, the GPHF will start the "GPHF-Minilab® Long-Term Observation Study" in 1999. In this twelve-month test Minilabs are to be used to check drugs in selected countries in Africa and South America. In addition to the Medical Mission Institute Würzburg and the Deutsches Medikamenten Hilfswerk and others, the Instituto Nacional de Controle de Qualidade em Sáude (Rio de Janeiro) is also among the possible potential partners.

 

Model project in Laos continues to be successful

The project partner of the GPHF, the World Health Organisation, has given the board of managers of GPHF a detailed report on the status of the model project on the diagnosis and lasting treatment of schistosomiasis and opisthorchiasis in Laos. According to this the activity over the last few months has concentrated particularly on the treatment of opisthorchiasis, a parasitic infection of the internal organs, which in Laos mainly affects children. For this reason a total of 130,000 people in 424 villages in the province Champassak, the area covered by the project, received medical treatment.

Other main points in the project work in the second half of 1998 were the preparation and distribution of health information and education material for the local population and a training course in diagnostic procedures for employees of the Laotian Ministry of Health.

In the estimation of the World Health Organisation the project as a whole is going very well. This is to be particularly attributed to the good cooperation with the Laotian authorities and the commitment of the many voluntary aid workers in the project area. According to the plan agreed between the GPHF, the World Health Organisation and the Laotian Health Authorities, the model project is to be concluded in 1999. Then a workshop is to be held to draw up recommendations on how the results can be applied to regions in Southeast Asia with similar health problems.

 

N E W S F L A S H E S

UNICEF report 1998

In its Annual Report 1998 UNICEF, the children's relief organisation of the United Nations, reported that more than 130 million children worldwide have only limited opportunities for development because they have never been able to go to school.

Anti-malaria campaign of the UN

The United Nations have started a worldwide antimalaria campaign in which the World Bank is also taking part. Every year up to 500 million people suffer from the disease, one million die of it. In addition to developing new medicines, the project is concentrating on distributing mosquito nets in Africa.

Sleeping sickness back

The African sleeping sickness is gaining ground again. After it was regarded as more or less eradicated in the 1960s, the World Health Organisation has now reported a dramatic increase. In Central Africa about 500,000 people are already thought to be infected. Without treatment the disease is always fatal.

Collaboration against leishmaniasis

The GPHF member company ASTA Medica has agreed to collaborate with the World Health Organisation on the clinical development of the active substance Miltefosin to combat leish-maniasis. About 350 million people are regarded as at risk worldwide. Leishmaniasis is the third most common tropical disease.

Nigeria: Guinea worm almost eradicated

Over the last ten years Nigeria has succeeded in reducing the cases of infection with guinea worm by 98 %. By the turn of the century the parasite, which forms painful sores under the skin of man, should be completely eradicated.

Practical Laboratory Manual out of print

The "Practical Laboratory Manual for Health Centers in Eastern Africa", is at present no longer available. In the past it was particularly in demand by universities and tropical institutes who used it to train development aid workers. The manual, which was supplied by the GPHF free of charge, is a result of collaboration on a project with the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF). The GPHF is confident that a 2nd edition of the manual can be published in 1999.